1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective head gear for a firefighter, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved firefighting hood and face mask assembly.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
To protect the head, face, and neck areas, a firefighter often wears a firefighting hood in conjunction with other protective equipment such as a face mask and a helmet. Firefighting hoods are constructed of a fire-retardant, thermal barrier material, such as a knitted or woven aramid polymer material. Typically, firefighting hoods are made of two or more layers of such material. This layered arrangement of material protects the firefighter from burns of the skin.
While the helmet protects against head impacts and the firefighting hood protects against burns, the face mask protects the firefighter from breathing hazards such as smoke and noxious fumes. To be protected from all hazards, it is not unusual to wear all these protective devices at once. It is particularly advantageous to wear both the firefighting hood and the face mask simultaneously.
The face mask can be part of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) which supplies breathing air from a storage container, or the face mask can include a respirator which filters out harmful particulates from the environment to provide safe breathing air.
Although these devices protect against the harsh environment of a fire scene, they also can be overly restrictive and cumbersome when not needed. As a result, the firefighter will often don, then doff, then don again one or more of the devices during the course of firefighting. The firefighter will usually only be wearing a helmet when arriving at the scene of a fire. After quickly assessing the scene, the firefighter may don the firefighting hood and/or the face mask if he must closely approach the fire or is he must enter a burning structure in the course of the firefighting or rescue operation. To don both the hood and the face mask, the firefighter first removes his helmet and then pulls the firefighting hood downward around his neck to expose his head. Next, the firefighter dons the face mask which has a plurality of straps that are trained around his head for sealingly supporting the face mask against his face. The firefighting hood is then pulled upward over the firefighter's head and overlaps the face mask. Finally, the firefighting helmet is redonned over the face mask and the firefighting hood.
This arrangement and method has several disadvantages. First, the amount of time necessary to don the firefighting hood and the face mask as separate components is time consuming. Second, the straps of the face mask can be uncomfortable after extended periods of time in a high heat environment. Third, due to the fact that the hood is not mechanically connected to the face mask, when the firefighter pulls the firefighting hood back over the face mask, gaps tend to develop between the firefighting hood and the face mask leaving portions of the firefighter's skin susceptible to burns. All these disadvantages are magnified by the urgency associated with the activity of a fire scene where time is of the essence.
Accordingly, a need exists for a firefighting hood and face mask assembly which simplifies and speeds the donning of the is firefighting hood and the face mask and which reduces the risk of injury to the firefighter while permitting the hood to be quickly and easily detailed from the face mask to facilitate cleaning and/or replacement of the hood. It is to such an assembly that the present invention is directed.